Film
Reviews
DARKNESS (15) 102mm 0.
SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE Filmmaker FRANCOIS OZON talks about writing, editing, casting and scoring his great new film 5X2.
‘I wanted to make a film about a couple, and the first scene I wrote was the scene of the divorce. I thought it would be interesting to move backwards to the beginning of the couple’s story and to end on the moment of them falling in love. I didn’t want to be cynical but to say how important it is to fall in love and to feel your heart beating, even if you know that the feelings may not last.
‘All the time during the writing and the editing, I cut out details that might explain certain things. I wanted to give the audience the freedom to think and to tell the story in their head - it’s a very interactive way of making movies. I’ve had many violent reactions to the film from close friends, who normally love my films. I think it's more disturbing for men than for women, especially for romantic men with idealistic ideas of love. I don’t think it’s pessimistic, just very realistic, but it’s tough for people to accept that love may entail compromise, lies and difficulties. Some people don’t like the fact that the film is very open, and that there isn’t a key which unlocks everything.
‘I didn’t look for individual actors to play Gilles and Marion: I was looking for two people who had chemistry between them. In the casting sessions I gave Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi and Stephane Freiss the divorce scene from Bergman’s Scenes from a Marriage, which is similar to the beginning of my film, and I realised you could believe in them as a couple. It was strange for the actors, because when we started filming, I had only written some of the episodes, and so they didn’t know what was going to happen to their characters. They’d ask me questions about the couple and I wouldn’t know the answers. The good thing was that this meant they had to improvise and they developed an intimacy between each other. We were also lucky enough to have a five-month break in the middle of the shoot, which enabled me to rewrite the script based on the footage we had already shot.
‘The reason I used Italian love songs on the soundtrack was that every French man has had a love story in Italy. The songs are very sensual and very sentimental, and they make an interesting contrast with the images. And because it’s the man who is the most fragile in the film, I liked the idea of having male voices, which are sensual. When you’re editing, you have to be pragmatic and try out different types of music. We tried some Chopin, but the film became so depressing you wanted to kill yourself!’ (Interview by Tom Dawson)
I 5x2 is on selected release from Fri' 78 Mar. See review, page 49.
48 THE LIST ‘ 33‘ “.".i'
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:in order to increase the ina'ket sha'e of the <;i.'rre'it teei‘ j".(>"<ir tan ti. t'w notorious Haney ’Seissorhati:ts‘ Vt/einstein. V‘."hi|e UK anrneneets aim“? being treated to the Miraniax hearts Linkindest cuts. the additional dialogue supplied for Balagiiero's script in, Miguel 'Teiada Flores proves to he as ropei. as that hacks Revenge r" the Nerds s mes.
Nevertheless. Darkness; retains an element. at least. of the LIIITIOT‘IJIKJ thematic concerns of the soeiai :Iiriet‘, that elevated The i’\.’arne/ess about} its schlooky brethren: in the earlier film that was the plight of the underelass; in the new film its child abuse, The latter's hinted at in what proves to he the evil history of an old house that’s oeCiipied by Regina iAnna Paeoiiin. and her fairiin —- father ilain Gleni. mother iLena Olini and her brother. Said eVil manifests itself as the titular dark matter, a moan sentient force that terrorises the new hoineo‘.‘.'ner's.
The horror is a slow-heilding phenomenon — too SIOW. one might say. While Balagiiero's intentions are admirable — and not at all ii: line with the dump teen horror market in the US — there's a feeling here of too little too late. It the inspiration was Kiit>i'ir;k's The Shining — and Glen's turn as a 'Here's JOhhnyf' mad father suggests that's the ease ~ then Balagiiervi's missed his target. and left us all in tl‘e dark. ilvtiles Fielder»
I General release from Fri 78 Mar;
COMEDY MELINDA AND MELINDA (12A) 99min 0.
Back in the 705; and 8C3. Wood; Alien seemed to add dramatrc elemei‘ts to his comedy With pix. ."Q‘J; his. work stmes iJai"‘Li|!~, for either significance 0r laughs. Here. Ale" remains e". the erratic form of menus recent etions An;.t*7:ng Else and Hollywood End/rig — he has not
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punt! : Rams, MISS CONGENIALITY 2: ARMED AND FABULOUS (12A) 115mm 0
This seoiiel ti, Phillis surprisinal, tan i’viiss Congermlit; I‘; a tepid affair that lacks the ante '.'iiiian<;, and hiiiiioiii at the original. The (story, hraxel', illit‘, t’i buck the trend of settiiel'. that ‘ill’lhl,
rehash the same tzre't stonizne t.‘. starting a few .‘reelrs after the imint at which the oririi'ial en'lerl. iii the :ntemenihr; period Sandra Bullock FBI agent has heir/int,- a reaoqiiisatiie personalit, for her yer, pati’ir, exploits at the Miss Anierira tieaiit, pa'ieant it's a neat 'tea t! at l‘, Silhllfr’} h, Tm, major loss ‘ro'n the first tili'i", B‘fllléillll'lBTHiiH18{Ailiffllilii'I‘Ki.‘J‘: nos; tin't Bullock rel/)Jerinr; tr'iiri a i)i"_,‘<'iI‘ iii. and, iii a mop": ()I'rilqibli ’rlli o‘ l eftiai" ‘.'/eapon and a ll‘llW/l‘ other cop "tones. Bratt's tieeii 'ei,lar,ert tr, a .eiatile sidekick The par’ner comes in tlxe (game of Pie/lira Kim; (lll’I the relatiot‘ishii. bets/eei‘ her air} BUHU’LIK is Irélll‘Siftkillql‘y demiri of winch interest. The oft ier more prediutapie Ioss. diuen the originals twist. is Candice Ber/ginari. ‘t'lthoiit her to pla, oi‘t, ‘.’.’i!liai": Shat'ier “mks, ‘cr‘or'i arid the Crii'ii'ials .2”, step iiztr. ' er Shoes are trro fangs .vho ha.e The personalif, at a pit-Lilli Fat/woos th". is not 'Kai‘:‘:l"z Attat.
I Gerrera release from Fri 25 Mar,
ANNA/«WON
POOH’S HEFFALUMP MOVIE
(U) 68min .0
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